NOVEL NEXT 05
Chapter 5: Thoughts
Looking out from the 13th floor, the orange and purple sunset was embedded in the horizon, and the sun had long set behind the distant dark mountains.
The early autumn night quietly enveloped the city.
Xi Tian lay on the sofa, his mind filtering through the events of the day.
He had already met six people on the list.
The first one, Griffin Walker, the oldest among the six at thirty-two, had participated in many off-planet military campaigns, his chest adorned with medals, evidently a decorated war hero. His position was a senior commander, a colonel. For his age, he was quite accomplished.
He seemed silent and reserved, apparently lacking experience in dealing with males. However, the slightly open collar revealing a hint of bright-colored marks indicated he already belonged to someone else, which made Xi Tian feel a sudden disgust.
The second person was the youngest, only nineteen, just past the legal age, still showing signs of immaturity. He was a sophomore in finance without a stable income, dressed expensively from head to toe: tailored high-end clothes, the most sought-after gadgets of the year, and classic Air sneakers collected by fashion enthusiasts.
Judging by his taste, his family had likely become wealthy through the immigration boom in the past fifty years. He was highly valued by his elders and was protected to the point of naivety, with a high likelihood of inheriting the family business in the future.
The third candidate was an entrepreneur, twenty-six years old, who had just experienced his first business failure and was in low spirits. Moreover, he didn’t want to get married, making crude comments at the table, and deliberately hinting at relationships with other males.
The fourth was a doctor, twenty-seven years old, with a graceful demeanor that made people feel like a breath of spring air. He seemed like a traditionally desirable female for males, but his handling of the conversation topics revealed he wasn’t as gentle as he appeared.
The fifth was a rich kid who openly admitted to being in a double-female relationship and already had a stable partner.
The sixth was Ellis, twenty-five years old, a captain and junior officer who had not yet been deployed in battle. A twenty-five-year-old military female typically reached the rank of captain, making him an ordinary soldier.
Before meeting them, Xi Tian’s thoughts were simple: just choose the one with the most money.
Now, Xi Tian realized how naive his thoughts were. He forgot to consider compatibility and his own emotional reactions.
As a male who had grown up smoothly and was more worldly than his peers, he had an inexplicable sense of pride. He disliked shallow, self-righteous people and hated being looked down upon.
His emotional reactions had already made the judgment: he appreciated the rich kid in a double-female relationship, despised the entrepreneur, disliked the doctor and the colonel who was already taken.
The last candidate, Captain Ellis, seemed to be the best choice among them.
Young, at the prime age for reproduction, with considerable assets, and a personality that might be unpleasant, but his body was clean, having never been with anyone.
But that female seemed unwilling to marry a male; he wanted to have autonomy in his marriage.
However, what did that have to do with him?
Regarding marriage, as long as the male made the decision, the female, even if unwilling, could be forced to comply.
Moreover, he only needed the female’s assets, which wouldn’t prevent the female from continuing to work.
Xi Tian picked up the folder from the sofa, pulled out six sheets of paper, selected Ellis’s, and fed the remaining five into the shredder.
Now, he needed a good meal and then a good night’s sleep.
All other concerns could be left to his future self to worry about.